Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-02-07

Charles Pierce of White River Junction. and
the conductor was MIR. Smith c. Sturtevant
OF ST. Albans, VT. one of the Oldest and hes,
known conductors on the road. The train
Was about getting up TO its full speed. when.
ABOUT 20 rods or SO from the bridge which
crosses White river, The last car, the Pnri.
'ah, struck broken rail, left the track and
went dumping along on the ties. As it
reached the bridge, which, by the way. is $50
1eet long, this last car started of in a diapo.
Nal direction over the edge Of the structure.
and then with terlffi; jump i, plunged into
Inc darkness over the side, dragging the
three cars ahead Of it over also, and all four
struck with violence enough to shatter them
to pieces upon the ice of the river, fully so
feet below. The Puritan struck end first ar 4
crushed together like an accordian, while the
other three struck on their sides The rest
of the Train, engine, baggage and mail cars.
Kept right along on the track and passed to
The other side of the bridge, where they came
TO stop. 1t is impossible to describe The
| terrible scenes which occurred among the
deoris OF the four wrecked cars upon the ice
below. No word description could give il
Justice hundred persons. the most of
them sleeping soundly in their berths, dream
ig. perhaps, of friends LETT behind, or of
those they expected to meet on the morrow
crushed, mangled and janmed in the broken
fragments of the cars, only realized that N
accident had occurred. and tnat they must
NJ ke dt tsperate struggle for life. that is,
those few who survived the first terrible
| shock, for large number must have been
Killed at once. AS soon as the first sickening
crash was over, the pilful cries of the
wounded men and women awoke the echoes
of the snow-covered hills. but there was no
resUOnse their frantic aDnpals for belp
The condition of these unfortunate beings
can better be imagined than described, per-
haps. Pinned down bv heavy broken tim
bers they fought fraBtIcally to escape. Dark
ness enshrouGed them but su idenlv it was
di.prlled by n feeble Pickering light which
quhkly grew into strong fl h,me. Another
horroT was to be added to the already horri-
bic scene. The wrecked cars were on fire.
and those who were helpl, ,ly impris ned in
the wreckage knew that unless they speedily
made their escape they would meet with tn
most horrible of all deaths Finally they
fought for life and shrirkei at the top of
their voices tor assistance, but the most of
| them were doomed to death, for there was no
help near. Slnwly the flames crept onward,
licking up the dry wood of the cars like so
much finder. Tue poor victim, immovable
by the reason of heavy weights upon him,
dense smoke encompas-ed him he lost con
seriousness, happily. and while in the condit-
ion the flames seized HIM and in a few mo-
ments he was blackentd and charred mass
of somlhing unrecognlzAbie and without
shape. This was the experience of perhaps
25. or even 40. persons There was one
thing that the victims of the dire disaster did
not expe rirnce, aul that was drou0ns. The
ice of the White was something like 80 inches
| in thickness, and, in spite OF the great weight
which struck it with such great force. 1t re-
mained whole and sustained the burden
Had he ice broken and the four cars and
their livirg freight been engulfed in the cold
waters it is more than probable that not a
soul would have lived to tell the story of
| their ESCAPE.
| One of he first of the passengers to escape
from the burning wreckage was Joseph
Maigret, a FrenchCanaiian boy living In
Shaewigan, p. G. He was with his father.
David, on their way from lIolyoke to their
home. They bov sat three seats behind his
father in the third car from the rear. He
was dozing in his seat when he felt the car
shiver. This motion Was kept up for a few
seconds. Joseph realized that an accident
was about to happen, and he got ready to
lump from the train. Before he had time to
so, however, the car in which he sat dashed
over the bridge upon the ice. For moment
or two he was stunned bv the fearful fall
but he quickly came to his senses and en-
deav0red to make his escape. BY dint of
hard work the BOY sncceeded in g-lting out
one Of the windows. which still held its shape
Joseph at once went in search of his father,
and discovered him in the light of the burn
ing wreCkage Just above HIM, pinned down
by a part of the top of the car VIII ch had
L. 81.
old man was as firmly held as in wise.
Joseph, who was the only one who escaped
from the car, as he says, rushed TO his faith
er's assistance, and spoke words Of encour-
agement to him The father was very cool
under the circumstances, and told his son to
help him out soon AS possible The boy
seized his father and Struggled with all his
strength to extricate him, but in vain. The
fl mes were approaching rapidly and every
moment was valuable.
Joseph" said the father, run and get an
axe or saw" but the boy could not find
either.
'Pull me out them" said the father, "even
if YOU have to break my legs to do So Jo-
s.ph rugged away with all his might. but he
could not stir his father an inch. The fl mes
we're then close at hand and almost stited
both of them. With wonderful GOODNESS the
father gave himself up to his tate.
"lt's no use, nv boy" he said. There Is
no hope for me E; leave me and save yourself; !;
but remember the dying words of your poor
father-always be good boy. Farewell
nv son, | will meet you in the other world. "
Then the old nan lay back 70 await his
death, which was near at hand, but the boy
burst into tears. "Oh, father, father" was
all he could say. The old man 'till kept
cool, as one might judge from what followed.
He struggled for minute and got his hand
into his pocket He felt around awhile, and
then pulled out his railroad ticket, his pock-
et-bouk and his spectscles. These he gave
to the weeping boy, who was perched upon
broken timber near him. shruuded In smoke
Take these" my son" said he. "Good-by,
goodbv
The flames were then so close at hand that
the boy could remain no longer. Already
tbev were upon him. He made one last des
perate effort to free shis father, but he could
not stir him. The Ere burned his hands and
the smoke choked him, so he was forced to
let go. He lett his father and got out OF
reach of the flames and then watched his
parent slowly burn TO death in the burning
debris 1t was a terrible ordeal, and the boy
related the particulars in broken French to
your correspondent tonight with tears in his
eyes.
The first to go to the rescue of the passen-
gers in general were Engineer Charles Pierce
and the fireman. According to his story the
first he knew of the accident was when he
felt a pull and then an ease up on the en-
az